Screen printing is a printing technique where the print goes straight onto the product. The product to be printed enters a machine, is clamped and registered in the recording equipment (templates, duses, etc.). The product is subsequently put underneath the printing mould (the screen). The screen slides, the product moves along, the ink is pressed through the screen by means of the doctor blade, and the image appears on the product.
This principle is applied on circular, oval and flat surfaces. In the case of planography, product and screen remain stationary while the doctor blade moves. Modern machines with print speeds of up to 6,000 items an hour make it possible to realise a full-colour grid of up to 40 l/pcm, in combination with the existing UV-dried inks. Ténax can print up to six colours in line. This means full-colour + 2 PMS colours, or foil printing for instance.
The advantages of screen printing
- high level of durability
- extremely high level of scratch resistance
- chemical-resistant
- high level of colourfastness
- no osmosis issues or floating/loose labels
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